Shock over Arnie axing in Japan

Graham Arnold’s sacking from J-League Vegalta Sendai has shocked insiders in Japan who say it was too early for Vegalta to pull the trigger.

Graham Arnold-s sacking from J-League Vegalta Sendai has shocked insiders in Japan who say it was too early for Vegalta to pull the trigger.

Respected J-League writer Sean Carroll has been covering Japanese football for a number of years as a Tokyo-based freelance journalist (@seankyaroru)

He says the Arnold sacking caught him by surprise.

“I'm shocked, to be honest. Results hadn't been good but six games is not enough to let a coach build a team,” he told www.footballaustralia.com.au.

“Especially considering how long they'd tracked him for, the fact that he took over from a guy who'd been there six years and that he [Arnold] was in contact with his predecessor [Makoto Teguramori] and how he was helping him adjust to the transition

“Obviously we don't know much about what the atmosphere was like day-to-day at training, but it seems like an early sacking.

“The J-League breaks for the World Cup at the end of May, if results hadn't changed by then then it would have been far less surprising.”

Speculation has begun about Arnold-s possible return to the Hyundai A-League with Sydney FC and Perth Glory two clubs that may have the former Socceroo coach in their sights.

Intriguingly, Newcastle Jets - bitter rivals of his former club Central Coast - are also in the market for a new coach for next season.

“Vegalta were a team on the slide at the end of last season and made very few reinforcements ahead of this season so it was always going to be a bit of a tricky season,” added Carroll.